Not sure whether this horse has just fallen in love with the camera man . . . or resents being left out.
Here’s the explanation of this YouTube video:

While filming an episode of “Born to Explore with Richard Wiese” (ABC Saturday mornings) at a ranch near Santiago, Chile, Richard was interviewing Gonzalo Vial, a horse breeder who trains horses with a gentle touch. Our producer/director Andy Ames captured on his iPhone a horse named Chunchun hitting on one of our cameraman, Greg Harriott.

This saddle fits Freedom extremely well — it works at all gaits, allowing him to lift his back and use his body effectively.

A new study conducted by researchers at the University of Zürich and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences confirmed that saddle fit is dynamic and influenced by even modest increases in speed within a gait.

Researchers found that a 10 percent increase within each speed range resulted in a 5 percent increase in the total saddle force peak at the walk, and a 14 percent increase at the trot.

The Swiss and Swedish researchers based their findings on data gathered from sensors that monitored seven dressage horses ridden on a treadmill in their regular tack, walking at speeds from 1.3 to 1.8 metres per second, and trotting speeds from 2.6 to 3.6 metres per second.

The motion of the horse and rider, vertical ground reaction forces and saddle forces were measured simultaneously. The study showed increasing velocity significantly accentuates the basic motion pattern of the respective gait and consequently exerted a distinct formative influence on the saddle forces.

At the walk, increased velocity could accentuate a rocking type of movement of the horse’s back.

At the trot, saddle movement was influenced by the vertical oscillation of the horse and rider, the resulting higher ground reaction force peaks and the stiffening of the horse’s back.

The bottom line?

It’s not enough for your saddle to fit when your horse is stationary; you need to work with a fitter who understands dynamic fit and who can make sure that the fit will work even while the horse is in motion.

The study was supported by a grant from the Stiftung Forschung für das Pferd (Research Foundation for the Horse).

If you are still having Lord of the Ring equestrian fantasies — or wish you’d ridden in the Lady Mary steeplechase scene on Downton Abby, check out this casting call from Paperpony Casting. Wrong continent for me, but wouldn’t it be fun?

ONCE AGAIN looking for very experienced riders to appear in the background of TV series. You do not need your own horse or transport but please do not apply if you are a novice rider. All riders will be put through competency tests before being accepted. You can be called at short notice so availability is key here. Filming over next few months.
****
We are looking for :
for guys and girls of all ages. Natural hair colour. Full availability during week or part of the week. Can get to Cumbernauld at silly o’clock. Won’t moan about the Long hours and who are very, very reliable and friendly and who wouldn’t mind helping out with horses whilst on set.
****
If you want to be included this year, your challenge is to email a recent head and shoulder shot against a white wall in good natural light.
And a photo or two of you riding / jumping.
Please no crazy hair ( you not horse) _ it’s a period drama!
Include your sizes:
Head size in inches
Chest
Waist
High hip ( fattest part)
Inside leg boys
Shoe
Height
Please be 100% accurate
I also need all of your contact details. You will need your passport handy (if you have one ) and NI no.
Rates vary but are decent.
Look forward to hearing from you all soon.
PLEASE, Please. No time wasters.
References will be required ( and checked) before you are accepted for this job :o)
Reply to :
Ppc.sa.info@gmail.com
Thank you!
Alex @Paperpony. Casting

I try not to use a reader for dressage tests — I always found it too distracting to listen to someone when I needed to be thinking a movement or two ahead. Certainly listening to this read would have either sent me astray or had me fall off from laughing too hard!

Little critters are out and about again, after hiding away for the winter.

Now that we’ve had a few days of warmer weather — just a tease, really — I’m starting to see the frozen tundra of a landscape come alive.

We had a dusting of snow the other day and the next morning, there were rabbit tracks all over. It made me realize that for a long time, I saw no tracks. Even the deer have re-emerged after being nearly invisible all winter long. This morning their were eight deer in my backyard, including one right outside my living room window, munching merrily away on a bush.

I still haven’t been able to ride. Although much of the snow has melted, there’s still almost a foot on the ground in many places and it’s so compacted and hard, the horses want no part of going through it. Plus the repeated cycles of melting and freezing have sheets of ice on all of the areas that were cleared.

Hunting is supposed to start on April 14th but the idea of being able to go out and ride through fields seems like it’s more than a month away. I sure hope I’m wrong.